[peter123]

From the Little Dot listing on their eBay store:

Suitable Headphone Impedance:
8 - 600 ohms

Input Impedance:
50K ohms

Power Output:
150mW @ 300 ohms
300mW @ 120 ohms
800mW @ 32 ohms

The question was about output impedance which is not listed and is very hard to find. I've read 10Ohm somewhere but that's not from any official specs.

 

[gregorya]

The question was about output impedance which is not listed and is very hard to find. I've read 10Ohm somewhere but that's not from any official specs.

My apologies... did you try emailing them directly? David typically responds quickly.

 

[Hansolo76]

 
foobar2000 > Asus Xonar Essence STX II > Little Dot I+ (NE-408A - Burson V5i) > Fostex T50RP (DBV #3)
 
First impressions of the Burson V5i:
 
Worth every penny.
 
The best I have ever heard my I+ sound so far.
 
Highs have become softer, much less harsh, and easier to distinguish.
 
Mids have now become very present and stand out clearly.  I hear new details in the songs I have been listening to for months now.
 
Lows are solid and very clean.  The bass is strong with a noticeable impact.
 
Definitely a good buy.  Would buy again anytime.  Can't wait to see how it will sound with the EI 6hm5 Yugoslavia that are on their way.

 

 

 

 
I would like to start with a big thanks to Charles from SS-Audio for the demo samples.
 
So what I have done for this review is upgraded from a Burson V5i to Burson V5.  As you can tell from my review above, the V5i was a great improvement over stock and most other Op Amps that I have tried.
 
The V5 is a definite improvement.  The clarity and detail have improved even more from the V5.  The mids have become richer and the detail is so much fuller.  There are so many more nuances that can be heard in the same music that I've been listening day to day.
 
Bass - still strong and punchy and a bit more depth.
 
Mids - fuller and more defined.  Voices and instruments stand out much clearer than before.
 
Highs - soft yet crisp.  Not overwhelming and at a good level.  Very comfortable for long periods of time.
 
Gear I tested:
 
Custom PC > Xduoo XD-05 > Little Dot I+ (NE-408a - Burson V5) > Fostex T50RP DBV #3
 
Overall thoughts:
 
Once again a solid step up.  The improvements, while not tremendous, very noticeable and through out the full audio range.  New details and clarity while maintaining a very comfortable sound that is not fatiguing at all.  I would like to keep this in my Little Dot I+ since it is the amp I use at work and listen to the most, but the size is a factor.  If I had the extension kit this would be staying in there, but for now I think I would rather be able to close it.  Definitely worth the money if you are trying to get the most out of your gear.

 

[trivium911]

   

 

 

 
I would like to start with a big thanks to Charles from SS-Audio for the demo samples.
 
So what I have done for this review is upgraded from a Burson V5i to Burson V5.  As you can tell from my review above, the V5i was a great improvement over stock and most other Op Amps that I have tried.
 
The V5 is a definite improvement.  The clarity and detail have improved even more from the V5.  The mids have become richer and the detail is so much fuller.  There are so many more nuances that can be heard in the same music that I've been listening day to day.
 
Bass - still strong and punchy and a bit more depth.
 
Mids - fuller and more defined.  Voices and instruments stand out much clearer than before.
 
Highs - soft yet crisp.  Not overwhelming and at a good level.  Very comfortable for long periods of time.
 
Gear I tested:
 
Custom PC > Xduoo XD-05 > Little Dot I+ (NE-408a - Burson V5) > Fostex T50RP DBV #3
 
Overall thoughts:
 
Once again a solid step up.  The improvements, while not tremendous, very noticeable and through out the full audio range.  New details and clarity while maintaining a very comfortable sound that is not fatiguing at all.  I would like to keep this in my Little Dot I+ since it is the amp I use at work and listen to the most, but the size is a factor.  If I had the extension kit this would be staying in there, but for now I think I would rather be able to close it.  Definitely worth the money if you are trying to get the most out of your gear.

You dont have to solder anything, just plug and play? Just bought the LD used with an upgraded OPA2107, would you say even the burson v5i would be worth the upgrade? Also which op Amp does the LD take, dual or single?

 

[frogmeat69]

You would need a dual op amp.

 

[trivium911]

You would need a dual op amp.

Thanks, have not yet received the amp yet.

 

[Hansolo76]

  You dont have to solder anything, just plug and play? Just bought the LD used with an upgraded OPA2107, would you say even the burson v5i would be worth the upgrade? Also which op Amp does the LD take, dual or single?

 
The LD has an 8 pin socket for the Op Amps.  The IC versions are kind of a pain to remove without the right tools.  You plug the V5 or V5i right in the socket.  You will need the included 8-pin DIP socket adapter that comes with the V5 for it to clear the other components.  The LD requires a dual version.
 
What I've compared in order of preference:
 
Burson V5
Burson V5i
OPA2107
LM4562
MC33078 (stock)
 
Both Bursons are way above the rest and the V5 is definitely better than the V5i.

 

[trivium911]

Awesome, i just got to try out my new used little dot i+. Im having a difficult time trying to find out which tubes are better that it came with. Voskhod 6jip-ev or the ge jan5654. Ive heard really good things about the voskhod, i love them both but i cant pinpoint which is brighter, am i wrong in thinking the GE jan5654 is less bright because it seems that way to me. I cant switch the tubes out fast enough after turning off the device and all that to notice a big difference, maybe i need to try more tracks. They both sound great, i also have the HM5 tubes and not liking those, they sound a bit off like thin and lacking soundstage. I also have the w408s but have not had a chance to swap the internal jumper. Thanks for tue info on the burson v5i, this will be on my radar. Compared to my o2 with my 400i the LD sounds much more full and organic, i have some warmer cans the objective 2 will still work for though so i will probably still use it.

 

[trivium911]

Hi Guys i couldn't find a dedicated thread for the little dot that was not already dedicated to tube rolling. Im having a strange issue with my LD which i just realized yesterday plugging into my computer. I picked up a Sound card the Xonar D2 and plugged the little dot into the front channel (green). Im getting a buzzing/electronic noise coming out that is really annoying, it cant really be heard with music playing but it just makes the music sound less crisp, i've also tried to use the onboard audio with the same effect. Now i know what you are thinking but i already tried my Fiio X3ii with the USB pass through and the LD plugged into the line out and to my surprise is the same issue and EXACT same interference/noise. Once i unplug the USB from my fiio and leave the amp plugged in the noise goes away immediately. I've also tried my fiio on my laptop, and while the noise is still somewhat present...its not as bad as on my desktop.
 
a few specs about my system
GTX 970 Video card
Skylake i56600K
Gigabyte GA-170XP-SLI Motherboard
 
So far i've tried the following:
Remove all hard drives
Remove all overclock settings on my computer and rest CMOS/Bios. 
Plug the LD into a different power outlet than computer
Unplug everything except desktop and LD from the wall.
remove wireless network card
change around usb outlets (with Fiio)
Tube rolling with both 6HM5 and The vskhod 6j1 tubes
 
 
so far nothing above has fixed the issue, the amp sounds great straight out of my x3ii but the minute i plug it in for DAC the noise starts.I've read some threads about a screw that was not properly grounded, where if you touch the screw the noise will go away...well i tried this on all the exterior screws on the LD and the noise is still present. 
 
A few Things left to try:
shielded 3.5mm to RCA cables. 
Sheilded power cable for LD (do they make that?)
Power conditioner/UPS for desktop or LD or both
 
 
 
 
 
For reference my Objective 2 does not have this issue, but for some strange reason its now only working out of the right channel...so another issue i have to address at some point. 

 

[igotyofire]

Does anyone know if the jumpers for J1/J1' are placed to enable the EF92 family will the default tubes 6J1/5654 family still drop back in. Or will those have to be removed again to default back ?

 

[CHxJC]

Hi Guys i couldn't find a dedicated thread for the little dot that was not already dedicated to tube rolling. Im having a strange issue with my LD which i just realized yesterday plugging into my computer. I picked up a Sound card the Xonar D2 and plugged the little dot into the front channel (green). Im getting a buzzing/electronic noise coming out that is really annoying, it cant really be heard with music playing but it just makes the music sound less crisp, i've also tried to use the onboard audio with the same effect. Now i know what you are thinking but i already tried my Fiio X3ii with the USB pass through and the LD plugged into the line out and to my surprise is the same issue and EXACT same interference/noise. Once i unplug the USB from my fiio and leave the amp plugged in the noise goes away immediately. I've also tried my fiio on my laptop, and while the noise is still somewhat present...its not as bad as on my desktop.

a few specs about my system
GTX 970 Video card
Skylake i56600K
Gigabyte GA-170XP-SLI Motherboard

So far i've tried the following:
Remove all hard drives
Remove all overclock settings on my computer and rest CMOS/Bios. 
Plug the LD into a different power outlet than computer
Unplug everything except desktop and LD from the wall.
remove wireless network card
change around usb outlets (with Fiio)
Tube rolling with both 6HM5 and The vskhod 6j1 tubes


so far nothing above has fixed the issue, the amp sounds great straight out of my x3ii but the minute i plug it in for DAC the noise starts.I've read some threads about a screw that was not properly grounded, where if you touch the screw the noise will go away...well i tried this on all the exterior screws on the LD and the noise is still present. 

A few Things left to try:
shielded 3.5mm to RCA cables. 
Sheilded power cable for LD (do they make that?)
Power conditioner/UPS for desktop or LD or both





For reference my Objective 2 does not have this issue, but for some strange reason its now only working out of the right channel...so another issue i have to address at some point. 

My guess there's a high possibility of a ground loop. Does it make any noises when your laptop is disconnected from the charger? My FiiO Q1 makes this weird ground loop hum when charging, but luckily I could just turn off the charging since it has an internal battery.

 

[CHxJC]

Does anyone know if the jumpers for J1/J1' are placed to enable the EF92 family will the default tubes 6J1/5654 family still drop back in. Or will those have to be removed again to default back ?

You will need to remove the jumpers. Was changing tubes and accidentally plugged the wrong ones, it will make no sound until the jumpers are removed.

 

[trivium911]

Just a quick update i ended up building an isolation transformer which floats the ground on the secondary side and "isolates" safe power to the little dot completely removing any backgroud noise from the little dot. Now connected directly to my soundcard with the LD or my x3ii dac mode is completely silent. My fiio x3ii on the other hand connected to my laptop on battery mode still has noise...so this to me means the laptop is transferring noise that is different than a ground loop. Oh well i mostly just use my fiio x3ii built in amp anyways for my laptop...the man thing is my desktop is crystal clear with the LD which is the whole reason i bought it in the first place.

 

[mrs1986]

Hello Little Dot I+ community.
 
I'm thinking on getting one of these amps for my desktop. 
 
I have two questions, I have an AK Jr which i haven't received yet but i guess it will sound good enough for my work listening, but I guess I could use some better sound at home, so, do you think this will be a good source for the LD I+?? If not, what DAC could you recommend that is on the cheap side... as I'm already spending money on the LD...
 
The second question is, how does this pair with the He400i with the stock tubes and OP amps??
 
Thanks a lot!!

 

[trivium911]

  Hello Little Dot I+ community.
 
I'm thinking on getting one of these amps for my desktop. 
 
I have two questions, I have an AK Jr which i haven't received yet but i guess it will sound good enough for my work listening, but I guess I could use some better sound at home, so, do you think this will be a good source for the LD I+?? If not, what DAC could you recommend that is on the cheap side... as I'm already spending money on the LD...
 
The second question is, how does this pair with the He400i with the stock tubes and OP amps??
 
Thanks a lot!!

im sure it will be a fine DAC just be aware of the ground loop issue introducing noise into the signal since the LD has a transformer built into the chassis grounded to the wall which was fully present in my USB DAC or soundcard or anything out of my desktop. I have the LD with upgraded tubes and upgraded op amp. It pairs extremely well, tames the highs and gives texture to the sometimes unnatural decay and clarity that the 400i have at times. I dont think you will find alot of users here that have everything stock on the LD since the first thing they do is tube rolling and op amp rolling.  Your options for the ground loop noise which i can almost guarantee will be present as as follows:
 
Humx eliminator (expensive and may not work)
Cheap RCA ground loop isolators (Alters Sound)
3 prong to 2 prong cheater plug (dangerous)
 
or do what i did with an isolation transformer with a $20 transformer from digikey and some spare parts for the housing and plugs. That way you can ensure clean constant power to your LD and get rid of any noise that may be present.